Lily plant named ‘Tiny Missile’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Tiny Missile’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; densely-foliated habit; freely flowering habit; upright flower buds and flowers; dark red-colored flowers; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘TINY MISSILE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lilyplant, commercially known as Oriental Hybrid Lily, botanically known asLilium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tiny Missile’.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in 't Zand, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeding program is to develop new potted OrientalHybrid Lily plants with erect flowers, attractive flower coloration andgood postproduction longevity.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollinationin 2004 of two different unnamed proprietary seedling selections ofLilium hybrida, not patented. The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant fromwithin the resultant progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands in May, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant by bulbscales in a controlled greenhouse environment in 't Zand, TheNetherlands since November, 2007 has shown that the unique features ofthis new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tiny Missile’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Tiny Missile’ as a new and distinct OrientalHybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Densely-foliated habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Upright flower buds and flowers.    -   6. Dark red-colored flowers.    -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants ofthe female parent seedling selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have longer leaves        than plants of the female parent seedling selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily flower earlier than        plants of the female parent seedling selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have smaller flowers        than plants of the female parent seedling selection.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more        upright than flowers of plants of the female parent seedling        selection.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants ofthe male parent seedling selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and the male parent        seedling selection differ in flower bud color.    -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have smaller flowers        than plants of the male parent seedling selection.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants ofOriental Hybrid Lily ‘Tiny Hope’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.16,239. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of‘Tiny Hope’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more compact than        plants of ‘Tiny Hope’.    -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have larger leaves        than plants of ‘Tiny Hope’.    -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Tiny Hope’ differ        in flower bud color.    -   4. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have smaller flowers        than plants of ‘Tiny Hope’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant showing the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Tiny Missile’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants that were grown during the spring in 15-cmcontainers in a glass-covered greenhouse in 't Zand, The Netherlands andunder cultural conditions typically used in Oriental Hybrid Lilyproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 15° C., night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levelsaveraged 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesfor typical flowering plants. Plants were 60 days old when thephotograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida ‘Tiny Missile’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Lilium hybrida, not patented.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single            erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers;            compact and dense plant habit; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 31 cm.        -   Plant diameter, or spread.—About 22 cm.        -   Plant circumference.—About 70 cm.        -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.            Color: Close to 155D.        -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:            About 1 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 143C.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement and quantity: Alternate; simple;            sessile; about 94 leaves develop per plant. Length, upper            leaves: About 10.5 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 4 cm.            Length, lower leaves: About 11 cm. Width, lower leaves:            About 1.7 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Decurrent. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; leathery. Venation pattern:            Parallel. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 143A; venation, close to 143A. Developing            and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C;            venation, close to 143C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers umbellate or funnel-shaped;            when fully opened, flowers flatten and tepals recurve            towards the apex; flower buds face upright and flowers face            upright to slightly outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will            produce seven to ten flowers per flowering stem.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in            The Netherlands; plants can be flowered year-round in the            greenhouse and forced to bloom about 60 days after planting            bulbs.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,            flowers last about 15 days on the plant; tepals not            persistent; gynoecium persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 cm.            Circumference: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close            to 185A; sutures, close to 179A.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 15 cm. Length (height): About 7            cm.        -   Perianth.—Quantity and arrangement: Six tepals per flower            arranged in two whorls; tepals imbricate. Tepal length,            inner tepals: About 8 cm. Tepal width, inner tepals: About            4 cm. Tepal length, outer tepals: About 8.5 cm. Tepal width,            outer tepals: About 3.5 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate. Tepal            apex: Acute. Tepal margin: Entire. Tepal texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color: When opening,            upper surface: Between 181A and 46A. When opening, lower            surface: Between 44A and 46A. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to 46A; color becoming closer to 181A with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: Between 181A and            46A.        -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 45° to 70° from vertical. Strength:            Strong. Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.            Filament length: About 5.5 cm. Filament color: Close to            181C; towards the apex, close to 185A. Anther length: About            1.1 cm. Anther color: Close to 183B. Pollen color: Close to            171A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About            4.3 cm. Style color: Close to 181C; towards the apex, close            to 185A. Stigma diameter: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Lobed.            Stigma color: Close to 183C.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color:            Close to 144D; towards the apex, lose to 144C.        -   Seeds.—No viable seeds have been observed on plants of the            new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Oriental Hybrid Lilies has not been observed on plants of the new    Oriental Hybrid Lily.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have    exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to    tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Tiny Missile’ asillustrated and described.